BOONE, N.C. — Six home games and trips to Montana and Georgia highlight Appalachian State University football’s 2013 regular-season schedule, which was finalized on Monday.

For only the second time in school history, Appalachian State will play 12 regular-season games in 2013. NCAA regulations permit all Division I programs to play 12 regular-season games in 2013 and 2014.

The marquee matchup of the home slate is the Black Saturday battle versus Georgia Southern on Oct. 26. The Mountaineers will be in search of a record-tying third-straight victory over its longtime rival after knocking Georgia Southern off its perch atop the national rankings each of the last two seasons.

Other highlights of the home schedule include the Sept. 7 home opener versus N.C. A&T, which will kick off at 6 p.m. to give the Mountaineers a regular-season game under the lights at Kidd Brewer Stadium for the fourth-straight year, Appalachian State’s annual Family Weekend game versus Charleston Southern on Sept. 28 and homecoming versus Samford on Oct. 12.

Thanks to the 12-game slate in 2013, Appalachian was able to schedule two riveting non-schedule road contests — at Montana (Aug. 31) and Georgia (Nov. 9) — to go along with its traditional six home games.

The season opener at Montana is the back end of a home-and-home series between the longtime NCAA Division I FCS powerhouses that began with Appalachian State’s thrilling 35-27 win over the Griz last season at The Rock. The Mountaineers are making their third trip to Missoula, Mont., having dropped nailbiters in the 2000 and 2009 national semifinals at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Appalachian State and Montana have combined for five national championships (all since 1995), 10 FCS championship game appearances and 41 FCS playoff berths all-time.

The Nov. 9 contest at Georgia is the first all-time meeting between Appalachian State and UGA. The Bulldogs went 12-2 in 2012, winning the Southeastern Conference East Division title before dropping a heart-stopping 32-28 decision to eventual Bowl Championship Series champion Alabama in the SEC title game. UGA went on to defeat Nebraska, 45-31, in the 2013 Capital One Bowl and was ranked No. 4 in the season’s final USA Today coaches’ poll.